I think the D.C. fireworks are great.  I will be down on the mall near the Capitol.

the fireworks.  There is a National Symphony Orchestra free concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol building which starts at 8:00, is emceed by Jimmy Smits, and features Steve Martin, Josh Groban, Little Richard, and Mathew Morrison of Glee.  They always finish with a rousing rendition of the 1812 Overture with support from the salute cannon battery from the Old Guard at Ft. Myer.  If you get there early enough you can get a great spot on the lawn or the steps of the Capitol and see the fireworks without moving as the cocert ends.  The only real drawback is the other half-million folks that will be there as well, it can take a while to get off the Mall.  If you want to make a day of it the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is also taking place on the mall all afternoon, this year featuring the nation of Colombia, the Peace Corps, and rythm & Blues music, with 3 food tents featuring Southeast Asian food and barbeque.  Just be aware you will have to go through a security checkpoint and may not bring any alcohol onto the Mall.

You to take into consideration on how you are going to get into and out of area. I think Baltimore is much easier. Plus you can see the fireworks from hotels in downtown Baltimore much better than you can do in DC.

DC, of course, if. . .

. . . you don't mind crowds.

I used to go down to the National Mall with friends for July 4th. Now that I am older, I avoid crowds. I have seen a lot of fireworks in my lifetime so they don't impress me anymore. The best display in DC that I remember was not on July 4th but in 1996 on 150th anniversary of the Smithsonian.

There is firework display every year in my town. When I hear explosions, I would look out the window it would be blocked by trees. I can always watch it in my backyard but I never bothered. I think I'll go to work instead; it's nice and quite and air-conditioned there. I love the 4th.

from one of the taller buildings in Rosslyn.

The Heights of Buildings Act of 1910 makes sure that the buildings in D.C. cannot be more than 110 ft tall.

This doesn't apply for Rosslyn/Arlington however.

The best place I know is TOP of the town in Arlington. Good luck getting a spot there at this late date.

If you can't make it to the celebration on the 4th, then try the following Saturday as Old Town Alexandria has their own celebration then as well.

Going down to the Mall is the most intense crowd experience.  Be prepared to spend hours getting out.  There is a reason that DC Metro uses the 4th of July crowds as practice for a mass evacuation of the District -- it's a reasonable approximation thereof.

..while DC's fireworks are great, you might miss them because you're stuck in traffic! The Harbor is a beautiful place to spend the 4th and you're more likely to get a better view. Try the unorthodox!

Darya